Testimonials

It is no surprise to me that the symposium was “a resounding success”. You did a great job in putting this event together! It outlined the problem and potential solutions, the national policy perspective and New York’s, opportunities/roles for individuals and businesses (NGOs, etc.), government programs at the national and state level, and more. The emphasis on Q&A gave the event real life. One person’s comment (I paraphrase) that it was good enough to be a $1000 event in prime time in New York City was no exaggeration. It was great fun to participate in the symposium, to share the stage with so many wonderful speakers, and to field some of the many excellent questions.

Guy M. Zaczek, e3 Energy Environment Education, Niagara Falls

This wonderful event addresses the challenges that we face as we work toward energy independence…It is exactly the forward thinking that we need as business leaders, environmentalists, members of government and citizens to ensure a sustainable future. I share your commitment to sustainable energy, recognizing the significant impact it will have on improving our environment and the health of our citizens.

Kirsten Gillibrand, United States Senator

This award winning event consistently offers information and expertise regarding the solutions offered through renewable energy and successfully creates a rich environment urging for ownership and accountability for renewable energy solutions…The Symposium annually challenges both traditional partners and the greater public community to explore and tackle critical energy issues facing our nation.

Charles E. Schumer, United States Senator

Dear Dr. Jezer, I just wanted to thank you so much for putting together such a fantastic symposium last Friday. It was beyond inspiring and gave me hope that maybe some of our problems could be solved if we collectively worked toward a sustainable future. You were so gracious with every introduction and made us all feel like family. Just a huge congrats for such tremendous effort and success. Looking forward to next year!

Sara Schultz, Buffalo NY

Rhea, I can’t say enough about the day and the experiences it held for my students. Simply extraordinary. Being in the same room with the great minds you gathered was inspiring. Thank you for making us feel most welcome and acknowledging what I believe, that young people carry the creative spirit and keys to helping us move our energy and other challenges forward.

Sue Foster , Science Department Chair, Manlius Pebble Hill School

Thank you, Rhea. Another great conference and I am very appreciative of all the work you put into this. Bringing this conference and information to us on an annual basis is incredibly valuable.

John Pumilio , Director of Sustainability, Colgate University

I could not be happier with the way things went Friday. Terrific! We definitely want to be part of next year. I have April 4 on my calendar, will avoid creating a competing WRVO event. We are uploading the conference audio to our server… they can go right to it and begin downloading the audio segments on-demand … We will definitely alert our 5,200 members that the site is available, both by e-blast and in our next quarterly newsletter. Congratulations, Rhea. I know that being associated with this event is a significant step forward for WRVO…Very exciting!

Mike Ameigh , General Manager WRVO FM, part of the NPR network

Wanted to take a minute to thank you for all your efforts in putting together another top notch group of speakers. It continues to grow and improve. I know you are up to the challenge of making the 10th annual even more awesome!

Russ Carey , Supervisor, Town of Fenner

I just wanted to drop you a quick note and congratulate you one more time on a fantastic event. I don’t know how you do it, and make it look so easy. The speakers were terrific and the information was fresh, informative and understandable. Thank you for letting us be part of your important work. Count NYBS in for next year!

Sean P. Finnerty , New York Bus Sale

Congratulations for a powerful day that will bring many more to the table as champions for this critical work.

Craig Heim , Editor, Natural Awakenings

The Symposium was terrific. I took lots of notes. Great information! I give you a great deal of credit for bringing a world-class event to Central New York! (again)

Rhea, your energy and your organizational skills never cease to amaze me. Thank you ever so much for organizing this annual energy symposium. Keep up the good work.

Ruth Young , President, People for a Healthy Environment

Let me congratulate you on a fantastic symposium. I was SO impressed, with the speakers, with the format, with the information. Really excellent, and I know how hard you worked, and for so long, to make it all happen. Fantastic job!

I’m winding down a mechanical engineering career at ITT-Exelis here in Rochester and looking forward to starting on a new path in the Renewable Energy / Sustainability arena. The symposium was a very good opportunity to expand my understanding of what activity there is in this area. Thanks for your hard work.

Chuck Brugger

The Energy Symposium has been a great resource for my office, helping me share ideas and concerns with leaders of the green energy movement, and keeping me and my staff up to date on the most pressing energy issues. The people who attend will take the information back to their own communities and continue their efforts. I applaud Dr. Rhea Jezer for all her work on this annual gathering.

David J. Valesky , State Senator

Again, I would like to thank you for a great event and for taking your valuable time to put it all together.

Mark A. Bethmann, President, Bell Group

Thank you for putting on such a wonderful day, I would greatly appreciate access to a download of the power points. I believe they will prove to be a quality asset while working on my Masters Degree.

Patrick Niedzwiecki

Thanks for a wonderful conference, and all that you do to make it happen.

Paul Crovella

Fenner tour went very well, with an interesting group, lots of great questions and discussion. There was a gentleman from Columbia who was very interesting. We had a good open discussion on the bus with a man from England who explained the use of a series of micro-grids and municipal energy systems within communities in his country. Inspite of the weather, there was just one empty seat on the bus.

Thank you for the opportunity to be involved and to showcase the Fenner Wind Farm with the new direct drive permanent magnet turbine as well as the FREE Center.

Russ Carey, Supervisor, Town of Fenner

…I had a great time being around so many like-minded people & being informed about all the green-energy opportunities…I love the subject of environmental policy & conservation and it’s events like this that keep me interested & set on becoming involved….I found each speaker tremendously engaging, and have continued to research the economics behind the implementation of eco sustainable infrastructure. The Symposium has inspired me to integrate small, energy-saving habits into my daily life. Perhaps I’ll take a bike to the next Symposium! …I was so unaware of how interesting and how many people care about (the subject)

Manlius Pebble Hill Students (Excerpts)

It is no surprise to me that the symposium was “a resounding success”. You did a great job in putting this event together! It outlined the problem and potential solutions, the national policy perspective and New York’s, opportunities/roles for individuals and businesses (NGOs, etc.), government programs at the national and state level, and more. The emphasis on Q&A gave the event real life. One person’s comment (I paraphrase) that it was good enough to be a $1000 event in prime time in New York City was no exaggeration. It was great fun to participate in the symposium, to share the stage with so many wonderful speakers, and to field some of the many excellent questions.

David Berg , Chief Advisor, Energy Policy United States Department of Energy

…I was personally taken by the immense amount of planning that goes into such an event…every detail, working a timeline, remaining firm and true to your goals and your vision, and of course remaining a top-notch host throughout the event. I also learned a lot about public speaking. Thank you Dr. Jezer for your hard work and diligence in putting this together. You have done a great service in environmental education for the community, and most definitely our class. I am eager to attend (and hopefully volunteer) at next year’s Symposium.

Kyle M. Townsend , Student, Cazenovia College

I want to congratulate you and thank you …. I absolutely loved listening to the speakers …and look forward to sharing with my students.

Chair and Professor, Department of Physics, SUNY Oswego

I attended my first symposium by Rhea Jezer in 2008. I missed last year’s due to health issues (I take better care of buildings than myself.) I hope to make the next 36. These days are truly inspirational. When you leave you know that you can make a difference and I am sure many have. After going the first year you’re energized both coming and going. Ms. Jezer was recognized with two significant awards for her efforts last year.

I was there one year when an entourage of university students filled two long tables. That was while I poured a cup of coffee and briefly chatted with Garry Brown from the PSC. Then I went back to my seat behind six friendly members of the DEC. I eased into that seat just in time to enjoy someone teasing by Frank Murray from NYSERDA. Kit Kennedy has been the monitor each time I went and you would swear she was leading an orchestra.This is the event to attend. You can put faces and personalities the names of leaders in our field and walk out the door feeling a part of it all. It is great. The Y2K was a non-event, The Mayan calendar deal was a flop. This symposium has been the only consistently successful human event of the millennium… . I have spent one day enjoying it and 364 days waiting for the next each year. Get there if you can.”

Bernie Daily , Daily Operations Inc. Rochester, New York

I was particularly interested in the Symposium from the standpoint of comparing municipal, university and business efforts to adopt renewable energy and sustainable practices. The parallels were both interesting and mutually supporting, …and will help us in our planning.

Neil Murphy , President, SUNY ESF

The Symposium yesterday exceeded our expectations. We have attended before, and found our excitement about the future of good ideas originating at your conferences to be infectious once again. The selection of panelists was incredible. Geoff Anderson’s analysis and description of Smart Growth was nothing short of brilliant. We belong to the Southern Madison Heritage Trust, a land trust dedicated to preserving productive farmland in six Townships in Southern Madison County. The information we gleaned at your symposium Rhea, will be of value to us for a long time. Many thanks.

Carolyn Todd , Southern Madison Heritage Trust

The structure and scope of each topic and the contribution of each speaker has been so well thought out and provides a tremendous cross-section. Who else would bring together Wind and Nuclear! But they are realities that we all must recognize for their contributions to today’s energy demands. “What a wonderful symposium yesterday. Thank you for all the effort and spirit you put into your work for Central New York and the planet… This Symposium brings so much to our area.

Dr. Mary MacDonald, Professor, Le Moyne College

Your conference was spectacular! It was a real privilege and pleasure to participate.

I just wanted to take the time to thank you for having such a great conference last week. I look forward on attending next years conference.

Court Rutherford , VP Operations, Pyrus Energy Inc. Weedsport

I’d like to take a moment to thank you for your efforts in making this event happen – in my few years of attending, I’ve found it to be a great experience, and I’m looking forward to attending in April!

David P. Booth , Higher Education Solutions, Johnson Controls, Inc.

Congratulations on a well run, well organized, high powered seminar. I learned a lot and can’t wait till next year!

Dave Tucker , Architect, Marcellus

The opportunity for networking with those from the energy industry, educational field and government agencies has been invaluable to me.